


This Is Home

by Estalfaed



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, No Smut, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M, Very Minor, silly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-28 21:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13912746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estalfaed/pseuds/Estalfaed
Summary: Tali's only ever set foot on her home world once, a day that was soaked in blood and tears for her people. She lost so many friends that day, the Quarian people were nearly destroyed. But they weren't, Shepard saved them, saved the Geth. Rannoch was once more a vibrant planet filled with life, both Quarian and Geth working together; a peace.It's been over a year, but she is finally back, with Shepard and Kaidan at her side.





	This Is Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FallingOverSideways](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingOverSideways/gifts).



**This Is Home**

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Kaidan breathed in the air around him. It was clean and tinged with a heavy earthiness that was totally alien and yet achingly familiar. The sun blazed overhead and even with the climate control of his suit, he was sweating. It dripped down his back and under his arms to rest uncomfortably in _places_. Everything chafed and he could already feel several spots that would need some medigel once they were finished with the mission. He felt the tremor in the ground beneath him and shifted his feet to steady himself.

If they lived through the mission.

“Tali, what do you have for me?” Shepard’s voice cut through the air, strong and commanding as always. He spared Kaidan a soft smile and pressed his hand up to his ear, listening to some reply only for him, nodding periodically.

“Alright folks, we have incoming Geth and one hell of a push before we get to that Reaper transceiver.” The Commander looked around at his small squad made up of Kaidan, Garrus and Legion. “Alenko, put your helmet back on, this isn’t a sightseeing trip. Garrus, keep an eye out for those hunters, your eyepiece isn’t just for looks, right?” The Turian made an undignified snort and a roll of the eyes before Shepard continued. “Legion…uh…keep up the good work.”

He motioned them all forward and Kaidan, who had put his helmet on during the dialogue, checked his rifle and thermal clip before bringing it forward and scanning the terrain. “Tali will meet us at the rendezvous point and help us with the push forward. Let’s move out.”

Calm, cool and efficient. John was in control as he ever was, putting on a strong front that brought others comfort even if the man never felt as confident as he projected. Even Kaidan, who could see and interpret his lovers tells, fell under the sway of Shepard’s easy confidence and surefire way of laying everything on the table. They had no idea what they were headed into except it would be hell, and yet the biotic felt confident because John was confident. He also felt that trill of battle, somewhere between excitement and terror, growing from his chest outward.

When the first of the enemy revealed itself all four of them opened fire, tearing through the metal and synthetic body of the Geth. From there they all fell into an easy rhythm of battle, Kaidan lifting and reaving enemies while Garrus and Legion picked them off. Shepard flinging himself forward with a biotic charge only to nova the enemies to vapor around him.

They made surprisingly quick work of the enemy forces, making it halfway through the complex before their Quarian companion met up with them, James and Ashley at her side.

“Whew, glad to see you made it Shepard.” Tali’s distorted voice echoed oddly in the enclosed space around them. She wrapped Shepard into a hug, one which the man returned, before turning to Kaidan to bump her helmet gently against Kaidan’s. “You too, Kaidan.”

Kaidan stared into the dark of the helmet, silvery eyes meeting his gaze unblinkingly.

“I don’t like it when we’re not in the same squad,” Kaidan murmured. “I can’t keep you safe if I’m not with you.”

Tali laughed softly and pulled back. “Well I wasn’t worried. I can take care of myself. Plus Ash is a bad ass so, you know.”

Shepard chuckled and joined in on their little huddle, resting his own helmeted head against their own. “What about us? Were you worried at all about us?”

“I knew you had Kaidan with you, and that you’d take care of each other.”

Kaidan’s voice was low and hoarse when he whispered, “I really want to kiss you right now.”

Tali lowered her own tone to match Kaidan’s, “Keep it up and you just might.”

There was an awkward clearing of throats and the three of them turned to see James and Ashley looking distinctly uncomfortable, Garrus studiously inspecting his sniper rifle and Legion standing there watching.

“It is fascinating, Creator Tali’Zorah, observing your mating rituals with Shepard Commander and the Major.”

“Uhh, yeah, sorry Sparks, but y’all were talking over an open com link...so…”

“Well shit.” Shepard sighed and shook his head. “Ok, let’s refocus...we have the Reapers and Geth to stop.”

Ashley snorted and slapped him on the back of his helmet, more for effect than anything else. “Very smooth Commander.”

“…Move out.”

*******

Over a year later she looked down at Rannoch, the birthplace of her people and the home they had once more claimed. It looked so big, so _alive_ from the observation deck on the Normandy. She was itching to get down there and step foot on the ground again, feel the breeze on her face. She had been one of the Quarians to volunteer to have a Geth enter her suit and begin changing her body’s immune system so that she could walk on Rannoch free of her suit.

Day to day she still wore it and her immune system, while much stronger, was still best suited for Rannoch’s climate. It sure did help though when she wanted to be…intimate with John and Kaidan. Less preparation, more spontaneity, and less recovery time spent being sick from exposure to foreign bacteria.

They were currently waiting on approval to launch a shuttle planet side, the Quarian and Geth government was still new, but they were more than capable of monitoring space travel to and from the planet.

She felt hands wrap around her waist and leaned into the embrace, smelling Kaidan’s woodsy aftershave even through her suits filtering system. It was a nice scent, comforting and familiar.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

That was the question, wasn’t it? Excited? Surely. Scared? Yeah, that too. She shook her head. “I’m not sure, Kaidan.” Tali paused and readjusted so she was facing the man and curled into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know I should be happy, and I think I am, but also I am sad. We’re coming here to settle, to make a home for ourselves. This is what my father always wanted for me and he’ll never see it. He’ll never know that I made it, that I got married and have husbands, that we’ll have a house and land a-and…” She fought the lump in her throat as it stifled her words.

Kaidan’s arms around her tightened and he pulled her in as close as possible. “I’m sorry hun, I know you wanted him here. It hurts knowing he’s not. But I know he’d be so proud of you, proud of what you accomplished, proud that you made it back here.”

He gently rocked her back and forth while hugging her close and Tali allowed the tears to fall down her face silently.

“I love you, Kaidan,” she whispered.

The biotic placed a gentle kiss upon her head before whispering back, “Love you, too Tali dear.”

She felt another pair of arms wrap around them both, completing their triangle, completing their family, when John arrived. They stood that way for a while, holding each other in the silence, feeling more than hearing the steady beating of each other’s hearts.

“We’ve heard back from the fleet. They’ve granted us leave to shuttle down. They also said they were honored to have Admiral Tali’Zorah return to them.”

Tali scoffed, the sound skewed by her mask. “I’m sure.”

They finally broke apart and she faced the two men she loved with all her heart, knowing that if she couldn’t share this moment with her father, there was no one else she’d rather have at her side than them.

“Are you boys ready to go home?”

The two men shared a look and a grin before stating, in unison, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

 

 

 


End file.
